Study Tips from Trocaire’s Palisano Learning Center
With mid-term exams quickly approaching, Trocaire’s Palisano Learning Center shared some quick tips to help keep you on track this semester.
Don’t wait to get started: The longer you wait, the harder it will be to learn the material. Preparing for an exam begins before you even go to a class: Read the chapters ahead of the lecture, take notes and participate in the classroom, review your materials and create new study materials, and focus on feeling confident before the test.
Utilize your resources: As you review your study materials, think about specific areas you might need more help with. One-on-one and group tutoring sessions can assist with academic knowledge gaps, while an academic coaching appointment can help with managing your time, practicing good study habits and test-taking tips. Create an account to schedule both tutoring and academic coaching appointments throughout the semester.
Create a distributed study schedule: Cramming is proven to be ineffective, so it is important to develop a daily study plan where you spread out your studying over the entire week in smaller chunks of time. You need to practice frequently in order to give your brain a chance to process new information. Waiting until the last minute might result in short-term success, but long-term understanding will be more difficult.
TAKE BREAKS! If you follow a daily study plan, you are more in control of your time as you approach the test. Try to establish several 20-30 minute blocks of studying with shorter breaks in between to help keep information fresh. You will be more likely to remember information this way.
To beat anxiety, remember to breath and focus on what you know: Often, test anxiety can be the result of not feeling confident in what you have learned. Following these tips will help boost your confidence so that you can focus on your strengths and minimize your weak areas. If you find yourself getting off track, pause for a moment to regroup and concentrate on your breathing. Test taking can be stressful, so don’t forget to take care of yourself!
